A Referral and Information Record should
be completed whenever a referral or request for service
is made by, or on behalf of, a child or young person.
Where services are being provided, the Referral
and Initial Information Record should be regularly
updated to ensure essential information about a child
or young person and family remains accurate and up to
date.

Key Features

CSSR Case No.

This is the index number given to
the referral by the Council with Social Services
Responsibilities.

Date referral received

This is the date that the referral or
request for services was received by the agency.

Is the Parent/Carer aware of the referral?

This refers to awareness at the point
in time the referral is being made.

Child or young person’s details

Some of this information may not be available at the
time of referral but should be recorded in the Referral
and Information Record as it becomes known. This includes
the following:

- Family name

This is the child or young person’s family
name, second name or surname.

- Given names

This is the child or young person’s first or
forenames.

- Child or young person’s first language or
preferred means of communication

The preferred means of communication may include
Bliss, Makaton, BSL

- Current Address if different from above

This should be used in situations where the child
is not living at their usual or home address. For
example, if a child is living temporarily with a relative
or is a hospital patient.

- Social Services Team

This is the team responsible for providing a service
to the child or young person

- Responsible CSSR

This should be completed if a referral is being made
regarding a child or young person who is the responsibility
of a Council with Social Services Responsibilities
other than your own. For example a child on another
Council with Social Services Responsibilities’
child protection register, or a child in the care
of another Council with Social Services Responsibilities
who is residing in your area.

Child or young person’s principal
carers

- Main carers

This should record the main carers of the child or
young person at their usual or home address.

- If known to Social Services – name of CSSR
and Case Number

This should be completed if one of the child or young
person’s main carers is a user of social services,
for example, if a parent is a user of Adult Services.
The Council with Social Services Responsibility should
be recorded when another authority provides the services.

The referral

- Reason for referral/request for services

This records brief details concerning the reason
for the referral, or request for services. It is important
to note these details, even when the services requested
cannot be provided, or cannot be provided immediately.

- Agency/Relationship to child

This records the relationship of the referrer to
the child or young person. If the referrer is making
the referral on behalf of their agency then this should
be recorded e.g. if a teacher made a referral then
the name of the school would be recorded. A family
member would have their relationship to the child
or young person recorded. A neighbour would be recorded
as such.

- Address

This is the referrer’s agency address, where
appropriate, or home address in the case of a relative
or neighbour.

- Does the referrer wish to remain anonymous?

Where a referrer wants to remain anonymous this should
be recorded. Any information in the Referral or Information
Record that identifies the person making the referral
should be removed or obscured before the record is
copied to members of the family or other agencies.

Child or young person’s ethnicity and nationality:

- Ethnicity

The categories listed are those used by the Government.
They will assist councils in the completion of statistical
returns.

- Further details regarding

In some cases Councils with Social Services Responsibility
may wish to record more information about a child
or young person’s ethnicity to assist with service
provision.

Parents if not main carers and other household members

- Parent’s details if not main carers

This should be completed if the child or young person’s
parents are not their main carers.

- Other household members

This records all those people (children and adults) living
at the child or young person’s usual or home address.

- If known to Social Services – CSSR and case number

This is used if a household member is already a user
of Social Services service. This should include adult
members of the household if they are known to adult social
services, for example the Community Mental Health Team.

- Tick if also referred to SSD.

This should be completed if another household member
is being referred to your social services department,
at the same time. A separate Initial Information Record
should be completed for each child or young person referred.
Following the Data Protection Act 1998 it is suggested
that each child or young person has a separate file.

Child and family networks

- Significant family members not members of child’s
household

This section is used to record significant family members
not living in the child or young person’s household.
For example, a birth parent or relative who provides care
for the child or young person on a shared basis or has
a lot of contact with him or her.

- Other Social Services cases associated with the referred
child CSSR case number if appropriate.

In some cases it is important to record links to other
social services cases. For example where half or stepsiblings
are looked after by a council or have had their names
placed on a council’s child protection register
or are receiving family support services. This section
may also be used in situations where there are concerns
that involve a number of different families. For example,
where a Schedule One offender has had contact with several
families.

Key Agencies

The name of the key professional from all agencies currently
involved with the child or young person and family should
be recorded. This includes agencies working with parents.
Agencies should be consulted/involved as appropriate as
part of the initial assessment. Parental permission to
contact other agencies should be obtained from parents
except in cases where by doing so the safety of the child
or young person would be jeopardised (Working Together
to Safeguard Children (1999). This should be indicated
by a tick. It will have to be made clear at this point
whether other professionals agree to information they
provide being shared with the child/young person and/or
family.

Further details about the child/young person and family

This section records whether the child or young person
or another member of the family is or has been disabled,
on a child protection register or looked after.

Further Action

It is important to indicate what action has been taken
and what action is planned, by whom and from which agency.
This includes situations when no further action is to be
taken. The referral should be collated with previous referrals
and/or files, which should be consulted and information
recorded drawn upon as part of the analysis and decision
making processes. The worker who has completed the referral
should always sign and date the record. The record should
then be passed to the relevant manager to confirm the action
recommended in accordance with the policy of the Social
Services Department.

Links to other records in the Integrated Children’s
System

Using the Referral and Information Record with Children
Looked After

The Referral and Information Record provides
the carers with essential information about the child or
young person who is looked after. It replaces the Essential
Information Record Part One of the 1995 Looking After
Children Materials. As most children and young people who
become looked after are already known to social services,
in these circumstances it will reduce the need to gather
this information at the point the child or young person
becomes looked after.

When a child or young person becomes looked after, an
up to date copy of the Referral and Initial Information
Record should be given to the carers. The child
or young person and parents should have received a copy
of the Referral and Information Record
when it was completed. At the point the child or young
person becomes looked after it will be important to check
whether the child or young person and parents still have
a copy, and that the information remains correct and up
to date.

Where a referrer has asked to remain anonymous any information
that identifies the person making the referral should
be removed or obscured before the record is copied to
the carer, child or young person or family members.

In cases where the reason for the original referral is
no longer relevant, or may be misleading, the social worker
may decide after consultation with the child or young
person and their parents not to copy this information
to the carer.